Acts 7:51

¶ Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers [did], so [do] ye.

Ye stiffnecked {G4644} and {G2532} uncircumcised {G564} in heart {G2588} and {G2532} ears {G3775}, ye {G5210} do {G496} always {G104} resist {G496} the Holy {G40} Ghost {G4151}: as {G5613} your {G5216} fathers {G3962} did, so {G2532} do ye {G5210}.

“Stiffnecked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You continually oppose the Ruach HaKodesh! You do the same things your fathers did!

You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit, just as your fathers did.

Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Spirit: as your fathers did, so do ye.

Acts 7:51 is a pivotal and intensely confrontational verse delivered by Stephen during his defense before the Sanhedrin, immediately before his martyrdom. It represents the culmination of his lengthy historical recounting of Israel's repeated rebellion against God.

Context

This verse comes at the climax of Stephen's sermon, which traces the history of Israel from Abraham through Moses and the prophets, highlighting a consistent pattern of disobedience and rejection of God's messengers. He argues that just as their ancestors rejected Moses (see Acts 7:35) and the prophets, the current Jewish leaders are similarly resisting God's ultimate messenger, Jesus, and His Spirit. This accusation is delivered directly to the faces of his accusers, who ultimately stone him to death for blasphemy (Acts 7:59).

Key Themes

  • Stubborn Disobedience: The terms "stiffnecked" and "uncircumcised in heart and ears" powerfully convey a deep-seated spiritual obstinacy and unwillingness to yield to God's truth and authority.
  • Resistance to the Holy Spirit: Stephen directly accuses them of "always resist[ing] the Holy Ghost," emphasizing that their rejection of Jesus and his message is a direct affront to the Spirit of God working through His servants. This highlights the Spirit's active presence and humanity's capacity to grieve or quench His work (Ephesians 4:30).
  • Generational Pattern of Rebellion: The phrase "as your fathers did, so do ye" underscores a tragic continuity of rebellion throughout Israel's history, where successive generations repeated the sins of their ancestors, particularly the rejection of God's divine guidance and messengers.

Linguistic Insights

The language used by Stephen is highly evocative and rooted in Old Testament prophetic tradition:

  • "Stiffnecked" (sklerotrachelos in Greek): This is a direct echo of Old Testament descriptions of Israel's stubbornness, particularly in the Pentateuch (e.g., Exodus 32:9; Deuteronomy 9:13). It paints a picture of an ox refusing to be guided by the yoke, symbolizing an unwillingness to submit to divine authority.
  • "Uncircumcised in heart and ears": This is a profound spiritual accusation. While physical circumcision was the sign of God's covenant with Israel, Stephen asserts that their hearts and ears were spiritually uncircumcised. This means they were closed to hearing and receiving God's word and unwilling to obey His will, despite outward religious observance. This concept is found in prophets like Jeremiah (Jeremiah 9:26) and speaks to the need for a transformed inner self, not just external ritual.

Practical Application

Stephen's harsh words serve as a timeless warning. This verse challenges believers today to examine their own hearts:

  • Are we truly open to hearing God's word and the promptings of the Holy Spirit, or do we subtly resist His guidance?
  • Do we allow personal biases, traditions, or intellectual pride to make us "stiffnecked" or "uncircumcised" to new truths or challenging commands from Scripture?
  • The call is for genuine spiritual openness and humility, allowing the Spirit to transform our hearts and minds, rather than repeating the pattern of resistance seen throughout history.
Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • Deuteronomy 10:16

    Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked.

  • Leviticus 26:41

    And [that] I also have walked contrary unto them, and have brought them into the land of their enemies; if then their uncircumcised hearts be humbled, and they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity:

  • Isaiah 63:10

    But they rebelled, and vexed his holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, [and] he fought against them.

  • Ephesians 4:30

    And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

  • Jeremiah 4:4

    Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench [it], because of the evil of your doings.

  • Exodus 32:9

    And the LORD said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it [is] a stiffnecked people:

  • Exodus 33:5

    For the LORD had said unto Moses, Say unto the children of Israel, Ye [are] a stiffnecked people: I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment, and consume thee: therefore now put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do unto thee.
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